Re: “Canada carrying a hypocritical torch in stand against Maduro,” (The Hill Times, Feb. 27, p. 9). Our promotion of human rights and democracy in Venezuela is no doubt bolder than what we have come to expect from our government. But three factors vindicate this exceptional course of action: the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela (a starving population and three million-plus refugees), for which an extraordinarily inept and illegitimate government is responsible; the presence of a credible and elected opposition, carried by the largest anti-government protests in Latin American history; and finally, the unprecedented momentum in the international community to actually do something about it.